Do you like pristine white-sand beaches, turquoise blue water and gorgeous ocean sunsets? Do you dream about unwinding and experiencing a laid-back “island time” vacation? Do you enjoy good food with a water view?

Josh Frank, author of the forthcoming graphic novel Giraffes on Horseback Salad — an adaptation of a lost collaboration between the Marx Brothers and Salvador Dalí — has spent his life preparing for such a project. This consisted of watching every Marx Brothers movie so that the nitty-gritty…

The 761 mile-long Rhine River has played a huge role in European history as it flows from the Swiss mountains to the North Sea. It is simultaneously a major water and rail corridor, tourist attraction and home to medieval castles, battlefields, vineyards and commerce.

Like many Jews, Shari Ungerleider was tested for Tay-Sachs disease while she was pregnant with her first child, Evan. Tragically, the results were misread and Ungerleider was assured she wasn’t a carrier.

In late April, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention released findings showing a 15 percent increase in autism spectrum disorder over previous estimates. But Arizona bucked this trend by reporting a slight decrease.

Lauren Saks barely breaks a sweat as she jumps and squats while cheering on a panting crowd via her headset. You’d never know the leader of Fall into Fitness, a free group exercise class offered by the city of Phoenix through its FitPHX initiative, once avoided exercise.

In 2014, the Alzheimer’s Association designated June Alzheimer’s & Brain Awareness Month in order to support those with Alzheimer’s and those caring for them, in addition to promoting early detection. This year, the monthlong observance culminates on the summer solstice, June 21, with Th…

Jessica Knight was diagnosed with stage 3 breast cancer in September 2013. Married to a marine, Knight and her family moved around every couple of years. At the time of her diagnosis. they were living in Vienna, Virginia, and Knight hadn’t yet connected with a synagogue.

Have you ever just wished for a crystal ball, an opportunity to peer into the future for a concrete fact to help make a decision? Does this 60-minute window give me enough time to make a connecting flight? Should I travel ahead of schedule based on the weather forecast of treacherous driving…

It’s not an unusual sight to see a bubbe sewing, knitting or crocheting a special something for her grandchild. But for Nita Quint, who has 43 great-grandchildren and one great-great-grandchild, sewing personalized fabrics for them is an extraordinary feat of patience.

At the age of 90, Suzy Ressler still comes into work every day.She owns Mrs. Ressler’s Food Products, which she founded in 1954 with her husband, Emerich, soon after they arrived to the United States. They started with only one employee by selling chopped liver and, in the decades since, exp…

Today, more than 5 million people are living with Alzheimer’s and related dementias in the United States, according to the Alzheimer’s Association. About 80 percent live at home and are cared for by about 15 million unpaid, informal caregivers — often spouses or adult children. And while imp…

Jesse and Shira Charyn decided to open their own assisted living home, Shalom Home, after watching Shira’s grandmother, Clara Esther Shinder, move from one facility to the next, never receiving the care or attention she needed.

From the fear and endless jargon to the paperwork and financial questions, being diagnosed with cancer is an overwhelming experience. Creating a support and information network is often an important first step, and now Valley cancer patients and their families have one additional resource to…

When Janet Arnold, the Creative Aging coordinator for Jewish Family & Children’s Service (JFCS), showed up for a Memory Cafe event in Surprise, she wasn’t sure what to expect. But it turned out to be an emotional experience.

When it comes to weather, Minnesota is the opposite of Arizona. In the depths of winter, Minnesota residents hunker down in their homes and wait for the spring thaw to comfortably enjoy the great outdoors. Of course, here in Arizona, we hunker down in the summer months when temperatures can …

If you can finish this advertising jingle — “When it says Libby’s, Libby’s, Libby’s on the label, label, label, you will...” — you are most likely a baby boomer and can remember canned mush posing as vegetables that you could not even get the dog to eat.

Duet: Partners in Health & Aging, a nonprofit interfaith organization, will hold a training session for its caregiver-to-caregiver mentor program noon-4 p.m. Monday, July 3, at Church of the Beatitudes, 555 W. Glendale Ave., Phoenix.

The first mitzvah in the Torah is “to be fruitful and multiply.” Yet, throughout the Bible there are stories of women dealing with infertility; three of the four matriarchs had infertility struggles. But today’s technology offers hope to all women who are having difficulty conceiving.

Six months ago, when Americans celebrated Thanksgiving, it is likely that most of us acknowledged the blessings of a good life. At the midway mark, I ask you, how often have you expressed gratitude since then? According to a 2011 Harvard Mental Health Letter, people who routinely express gra…

The Arizona Natural Health Center’s signature Heal & VibeOnLife system was designed to address the six major pillars that govern health, according to the center. These include nutrition, fitness, sleep, stress management, detoxification, and community and social support.

With more than 1 million individuals who are deaf or hard of hearing in Arizona and more than 48 million nationwide, it is natural to assume that access to quality health care for those with a hearing loss would be the same as for those whose hearing is intact. The reality is that it is not.…

“Miracles” by Jefferson Starship, “Beautiful Day” by U2 and “Promised Land” by the Boss (Bruce Springsteen) are just three of the songs on my “Favorite Songs of All Time” playlist. I started making this playlist after seeing the 2014 documentary, “Alive Inside.” The film details the healing …

Helping our loved ones navigate the realities of aging – such as recognizing when it is time to give up the family pet – can be heart-wrenching. As life revolves full circle, you may find yourself in the position of taking away the dog from the very person who rounded out your childhood expe…

It’s been quite a month. A coworker was in a car accident and spent days in the ICU, a family member was in a serious trauma and spent weeks in the hospital, and I caught the flu and ended up with a bronchitis that lasted five weeks and made me appreciate how I take breathing for granted. In…

As the glorious weather precedes the spring equinox, chants of “This is why we live here” can be heard throughout the Valley of the Sun. For Phoenicians, amnesia is bliss, as we repress all memory of those triple digit days. Knowing how precious time and the mild temperatures are, let’s cele…

As part of process to involve the public in identifying unmet needs of older adults in Maricopa County and how best to serve them, the Area Agency on Aging has scheduled public hearings at three Valley locations from March 6-8.

The book is large and fits comfortably on a lap. The color photographs nearly fill each page. Each image depicts real people doing everyday Jewish things — a young girl eating matzah ball soup; a bubbe and her grandchildren lying in the grass; a man wearing tefillin, praying. The sentences a…

Four years ago, Mark Roth and his wife, Lauren, began the discussion many parents of special-needs children have: How would their daughter Emma, now 17, navigate life as an adult and what would happen to her when they were gone?

At the recent Jewish Disability Advocacy Day on Capitol Hill, one question on the minds of elected officials and the 180 advocates they met with was this: How will the disabled population continue to receive adequate services if the Affordable Care Act is scrapped as President Donald Trump a…